Automatic stacking machine for bars and the like

ABSTRACT

An automatic stacking machine or stacker is provided for stacking bars and various shapes, such as angles, into bundles, preparatory to strapping or tying the bundles, for shipment or storage. The bars are fed singly on powerdriven chains against fixed stops, so as to provide a compact layer or charge, which is then transferred by means of pre-charge carriages to a second set of power-driven chains. This second set of chains transfers the charge against a second set of stops, after which the charge is transferred by stacking carriages or magnetic turnover arms onto stacking cradles, to form a bundle of bars. The bundles are strapped or tied together by means of automatic strappers positioned alongside the stacking cradles.

United States Patent 1191 Kaplan 1 Apr. 29, 1975 1 AUTOMATIC STACKING MACHINE FOR 9/1971 Larson 214/6 DK BARS AND THE LIKE 4/1973 Buccicone 214/6 H 7/1973 Hill et al. 214/! Q [76] Inventor: Irving Leonard Kaplan, l5 9/1973 Renshaw 214/6 H Brandywood Dr., Pepper Pike, Ohio 44124 Primary E.\'uminerEvon C. Blunk 22 i 27 1973 Assistant Examiner-loseph E Valenza Attorney, Agent, or Firm-lsler and Ornstein [2!] App]. No.: 428,925

Related US. Application Data ABSTRACT [62] Division of 3371,49 March 1973' An automatic stacking machine or stacker is provided i for stacking bars and various shapesv such as angles, [52] Cl 214/6 into bundles, preparatory to strapping or tying the In Cl g 2 bundles, for shipment or storage. The bars are fed singly on powerdriven chains against fixed stops, so as to [58] 2 1 7: gg d o 19 provide a compact layer or charge, which is then 6 H 6 5 219 transferred by means of pre-charge carriages to a second set of powerdriven chains. This second set of chains transfers the charge against a second set of [56] References Clted stops, after which the charge is transferred by stacking UNITED STATES PATENTS carriages or magnetic turnover arms onto stacking 2.9541363 10/1960 Staples 198/20 R cradles to form a bundle of bars. The bundles are 2986.262 5/1961 Powers v i 198/29 strapped or tied together by means of automatic strap- 3101637 M963 193/39 pers positioned alongside the stacking cradles. 3 2l7 859 1 H1965 Bartlo et al..... 198/34 3,430.785 3/1969 Hedborg 214/6 S 3 Claims, 38 Drawing Figures P/"JENTEB MR 2 91975 SHEEI G18? 18 wwgwazsssts 3.880.296

SHEET 07 8F 12 PMENTESAPRZQIQIS SilEU NSF 18 Jll- SLEET 1501 18 ll'l'll Itlllliill PATENTEU APRZS 375 AUTOMATIC STACKING MACHINE FOR BARS AND THE LIKE This is a division of application Ser. No. 337,649, filed Mar. 2, 1973.

This invention relates, as indicated, to an automatic stacking machine for bars and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having means for automatically accumulating single bars into a compact row or charge of such bars, to facilitate further handling of the bars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described embodying precharge carriages for transferring the charges onto a set of power-driven chains and against a set of stops for further compacting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described embodying stacking carriages for transferring the charges onto stacking cradles, in which the charges are stacked to form bundles which are strapped for shipment or storage.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having magnetic turnover arms for transferring certain charges to the stacking cradles.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. I is a plan view of the automatic stacker, with portions thereof at the right end of the machine omitted, due to limitations of space;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on a slightly enlarged scale, showing several lateral chain transfers, precharge carriages, stacking carriages, and drives therefor;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but on a somewhat larger scale, showing one of the precharge carriages and one of the stacking carriages;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in FIG. 3, as viewed from the lower end of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, as viewed in the direction indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, of the stacking carriage, in extended position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, of the stacking carriage. as viewed in the direction indicated by the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, as viewed in the direction indicated by the line 88 of FIG. 3, of the precharge carriage, in fully extended position;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing the powered lateral chain transfer and magnetic turnover arm;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view showing the fixed stop, disappearing stop, and power positioning stop;

FIG. 1] is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevational view, as

' viewed in the direction indicated by the line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 15-15 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 19-19 of FIG. 22;

FIG. 20 is an elevational view, as indicated by the line 20-20 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 21-21 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view, showing one of the magnetic turnover arms;

FIG. 23 is an elevational view, showing the power stacking cradles, as viewed in the direction indicated by the line 23-23 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the power stacking cradles, shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 25-25 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary view showing the shape sensor device in elevated or raised position;

FIG. 28 is an end elevational view of the shape sensor device in its lowered position;

FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of the stabilizer arm assembly;

FIG. 30 is an end elevational view of the stabilizer arm assembly;

FIG. 31 is an end elevational view of the disc brake;

FIG. 32 is a side elevational view of the disc brake;

FIG. 33 is a fragmentary elevational view of the adjustable side roll synchronizing shaft, as viewed in the direction indicated by the line 33-33 in FIG. 24, with portions broken away to show some of the driving elements;

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 34-34 of FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is an end view of the adjustable side roll;

FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 36-36 of FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is an end elevational view of the tamping device, and

FIG. 38 is a side elevational view of the tamping device.

For convenience in understanding the invention, the stacker comprises various units or components, which may be generally described as lateral chain transfers, precharge carriages, stacking carriages, turnover arms, stacking cradles, fixed stops, disappearing stops, and power positioning stops. These, as well as several other components, will be separately described.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION The automatic stacker, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is made up of a series of modules in side by side parallel arrangement, the upstream ends of these modules being at the lower end of FIG. 1, and the downstream ends at the upper end of FIG. 1. 

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of first conveyor means for conveying a series of elongated articles in spaced ralation to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said bars, stationary stop means disposed adjacent the forward ends of said conveyor means and adapted for abutment by the first bar in said series to cause said first bar to stop, and each succeeding bar in the series to come into abutment with the preceding bar, whereby to close or substantially close the spacing between the bars, and provide a layer of bars in side-by-side relation constituting a charge, said stationary stop means being immovable by pressure exerted by said charge in the direction of movement of said bars, second conveyor means disposed downstream of said first conveyor means, for conveying said charge away from saId first conveyor means, means for bodily transferring said charge from said first conveyor means onto said second conveyor means, said transfer means comprising carriages having an orbital movement in which the charge is lifted from said first conveyor means, moved forwardly toward said second conveyor means, deposited onto said second conveyor means, and then returned to their initial position, second stop means disposed downstream of said first stop means and adapted for abutment by the charge moved by said second conveyor means to cause any remaining spacing between the bars of the charge to be fully closed, third stop means disposed downstream of said second stop means and against which said charge is positioned by said second conveyor means, means disposed downstream of said third stop means for receiving successive charges of said bars in superimposed relation to provide a bundle of said bars, said charge-receiving means consisting of a cradle having rolls for moving said bundle in a direction normal to the direction in which the charges were moved in the course of being deposited in said charge-receiving means, said cradle being provided with spaced sets of upright side rolls defining the width of the bundle, one of said sets being adjustable relatively to the other to vary the space between said sets and therefore the width of the bundle, and second transfer means for bodily transferring said charge from said second conveyor means into said chargereceiving means.
 2. In a machine of the character described, a first series of transfer chains in parallel laterally-spaced arrangement for receiving elongated bars to be assembled to form a charge consisting of a plurality of said bars arranged perpendicularly to said chains, a series of stationary stops disposed at the downstream ends of said chains and adapted for abutment by the first bar in said charge to cause the first bar to stop, and each succeeding bar in the charge to come into abutment with the preceding bar, whereby to close or substantially close the spacing between the bars and provide a layer of bars in side-by-side relation constituting said charge, said stationary stops being immovable by pressure exerted by said charge in the direction of movement of said bars, a second series of transfer chains in parallel laterally spaced arrangement, in tandem with said first series of chains and downstream of said stops for conveying said charge away from said first series of chains, a series of first transfer carriages disposed between said chains for transferring said charge from said first series of chains to said second series of chains, said carriages having an orbital movement in which the charge is lifted from said first series of chains, moved forwardly toward said second series of chains, deposited onto said second series of chains and then returned to their initial position, a second series of stops disposed in the path of movement of said second series of chains and against which the charge is moved by said second series of chains for further compacting of the charge, means for lowering said second series of stops, whereby to permit the charge to continue moving in a downstream direction, a third series of stops at the downstream ends of said second series of chains and against which the charge is brought for final positioning, a stacking cradle for receiving the finally-positioned charge in layers superimposed upon one another, said cradle comprising power-driven rolls for traversing the charges in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said chains, said cradle being provided with spaced sets of upright side rolls defining the width of the charges, one of said sets being adjustable relatively to the other to vary the space between said sets and therefore the width of the charges, and means for transferring the finally-positioned charge from said second series of chains into said stacking cradle.
 3. In a machine of the character described, a stacking cradle comprising a frame having spaced pairs of horizontal power-driven rollers mounted thereon, and a pair of upstanding side rolls for each pair of said power-driven rollers, with one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls offset longitudinally from the other, and one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls being adjustable relatively to the other, means for simultaneously adjusting all of said adjustable rolls relatively to the other upstanding rolls, a series of chains for moving a charge consisting of bars in side-by-side arrangement toward said cradle, a series of positioning stops for stopping the movement of said charge, electro-magnetic turnover arms for moving said charge from said chains through an angle of approximately 180 degrees and into said cradle, a shaft on which said arms are mounted, and means for oscillating said shaft through said arc, said oscillating means comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a rock shaft parallel with said first shaft, a lever arm keyed to said rock shaft, a pinion keyed to said first shaft, and a gear segment mounted on said rock shaft and in mesh with said pinion. 